Schedule check-ins
Of all your body parts, your middle is the most susceptible to daily weight changes (think bloating, dehydration, a food baby), but those temporary ups and downs don't accurately reflect your progress. Instead of obsessing over every fluctuation in the mirror, set up biweekly check-ins and take a snapshot—or record your waist and hip measurements.

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Give it a rest
Seven brutal workouts each week won't speed up your results. "Giving your body a chance to rest and recover is how change really happens," says Stacie, who recommends taking one or two days off a week. (If you're feeling antsy on those days, do a lighter workout, like taking a hike or bike ride.) When you exercise, you break down muscle fibers; it's the healing recovery process that actually reshapes your body.

Slash portions
The best way to control your calories and keep belly fat at bay is to learn how to distinguish proper portion sizes. "There are so many external variables that can mess with our appetite and hunger cues, like tough workouts, dehydration, and stress," says Stacie. "By focusing on portion sizes you have a very objective measure of how much to eat at one time."

Choose quality over quantity
Forget banging out hundreds of crunches: Three total-body strength sessions each week will get you better waistline results, says Stacie. "If you want extra abs attention, you can add a short core workout before or after a cardio routine." (Like the 10-Minute Belly Melt in our DVD!)